MEMBER of Parliament for Chaguanas West Dinesh Rambally is calling on health officials to allow open pyre cremations for Covid-19 victims.
In a press release on Monday, Rambally called on Minister of Health Terrence Deyalsingh and Chief Medical Officer Dr Roshan Parasram to revisit the Covid-19 protocols in relation to cremations over open pyre because indoor cremations were more costly.
Rambally said he was approached by members of the Hindu community in his constituency who lost family members due to Covid-19 and were dealing with the expenses incurred through indoor cremation ceremonies, especially in the event that the family had multiple deaths.
“In the unfortunate circumstances where there have been two or more Covid-19 deaths in one family, there has been debilitating financial hardship, anxiety and despondency,” he said.
Rambally said Trinidad and Tobago was amongst one of the few countries where the practice was unique since open-pyre cremations was illegal in most parts of the United States of America and disallowed and scorned in the United Kingdom.
He added, “To follow blindly is to ignore the cultural and religious needs of our people. It seems only reasonable that as a nation we ought to be self-reliant in our thinking and more sensitive to the needs of the Hindu community.”
Quoting the World Health Organization (WHO), Rambally said once hygiene and local health protocols were followed during the process of viewing to disposal, the body posed no threat of infection to persons.
Rambally said that after having spoken with religious organisations, pundits, and citizens on the matter that moving forward Hindus were prepared to omit home-based viewing and ceremonies for Covid-19 victims.
He stated, “Our concern lies, not with the lack of opportunity to conduct rites as per usual, which we have abided with anyhow, but with the arbitrary imposition of a mandatory use of an indoor crematorium, instead of an open pyre, as this is proving to be financially devastating to families. We are even prepared to have specified, government-monitored days for open air pyres, as we remain committed to abiding with national protocols.”
